Kenai Central’s AJ Hull, Nikiski’s Luke Johnson and Nikiski’s Rachel Johnson are a part of the 2025 Alaska High School Hall of Fame announced by the Alaska School Activities Association on Friday, March 28.
The class includes 12 total inductees.
According to the ASAA press release, “A four-sport letterman and state champion, Hull combined elite athletic performance with leadership, sportsmanship and academic excellence throughout his high school career.”
In football, Hull was Gatorade Player of the Year in 2011. Hull’s squad won state twice and finished runner-up one other time. Hull continued his football career at Western Oregon University from 2012-13.
In basketball, Hull was on varsity for all four years, earning first team all-region and second team all-state as a senior.
In baseball, Hull played on the 2012 state championship team for the American Legion Post 20 Twins and was named MVP of the tournament. For the Kardinals on the diamond, Hull was the Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year.
In track and field, Hull won a pair of Region III titles in the 200-meter dash and long jump.
The release says Hull graduated with a 3.68 grade-point average, was a member of the National Honor Society and earned a degree in business management from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Hull continues to give back to the Kenai community as a mentor and basketball official.
Luke Johnson also played multiple sports with football, wrestling, basketball, and track and field.
In wrestling, Johnson was undefeated for three straight seasons, from 2013 to 2015. As a freshman, Johnson lost to his brother in the state final. He was named a USA Wrestling Academic All-American as a senior.
In the release, Nikiski wrestling coach Dylan Hooper said, “Luke is probably the most accomplished athlete I have ever coached.”
In football, Johnson won a state title in 2013, and finished runner-up in 2012, 2014 and 2015. He earned Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014, and Lineman of the Year in 2015.
In track and field, Johnson won a state title in the shot put in 2016 and also set a state record. He also was runner-up in the discus that year. In 2015, he was top six in the shot put and discus.
In basketball, Johnson contributed to a sixth-place finish at state in 2016.
In the classroom, Johnson had a 4.0 in high school. He played football at the University of Idaho. Today, he works as a civil engineer in Moscow, Idaho, and is raising a family with his wife, fellow 2025 inductee Rachel Johnson.
Rachel Johnson, formerly Rachel Thompson, also excelled in multiple sports, in this case soccer, volleyball and basketball.
In volleyball, Johnson earned first team all-state in 2012. In 2014, she also earned first team all-state and was Southcentral Conference MVP.
In basketball, Johnson also was a Southcentral Conference MVP, earning first team all-state in 2015 and second team all-state in 2014.
According to the press release, Scott Anderson, Johnson’s basketball coach, said, “Rachel’s leadership stands out as a primary reason for our fond memories. She made us a team, not just a group of individuals.”
In soccer, Johnson played goalie and often kept the Bulldogs in the game despite the other team getting far more shots. She was Northern Lights Conference MVP in 2012.
Johnson continued to play soccer in college, putting together a school record 11-game shutout streak at Highline College. She then went to Washington State, earning conference goalie of the week twice after shutouts of No. 8 UCLA and No. 1 Stanford. She also earned Pac-12 Academic Honorable Mention.
Also at Nikiski, Johnson earned an honors diploma and earned a reputation for commitment to community service.
“Rachel embodies what we strive for in a student-athlete,” former coach Jake Doth said in the release.
Other inductees are Craig basketball standout Freddy Hamilton III, Palmer music educator Stan Harris, Grace Christian basketball player Tobin Karlberg, Dimond basketball standout Alissa Pili, Colony four-sport star Justin Schwartzbauer, West Anchorage softball standout Pauline Tufi, Whitestone drama, debate and forensics coach Nathan Vereide, and Palmer hockey player Kerry Weiland.
The induction ceremony will be Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at the Special Olympics Alaska Jim Balamaci Training Center in Anchorage.
